The neural logic underlying the conversion of non-stationary (dynamic) olfactory inputs into odor-search behaviors has been difficult to crack due to the distributed nature of the olfactory code - food odors typically co-activate multiple olfactory sensory neurons. In the Drosophila larva, the activity of a single olfactory sensory neuron is sufficient to direct accurate reorientation maneuvers in odor gradients (chemotaxis). In this reduced sensory system, a descending pathway essential for larval chemotaxis has been delineated from the peripheral olfactory system down to the premotor system. Here, I review how anatomical and functional inspections of this pathway have advanced our understanding of the neural mechanisms that convert behaviorally relevant sensory signals into orientation responses.

中文翻译：

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将动态嗅觉输入转换为定向行为的微型大脑计算。

由于嗅觉代码的分布式特性，将非平稳（动态）嗅觉输入转换为气味搜索行为的神经逻辑很难破解——食物气味通常共同激活多个嗅觉感觉神经元。在果蝇幼虫中，单个嗅觉感觉神经元的活动足以指导气味梯度（趋化性）中的准确重定向操作。在这个减少的感觉系统中，幼虫趋化性所必需的下行通路被描绘成从外周嗅觉系统到运动前系统。在这里，我回顾了对该通路的解剖和功能检查如何促进了我们对将行为相关的感官信号转换为定向反应的神经机制的理解。